268 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



county and hired out with a farmer, a 

 Mr. Geisinger, but, not taking very well 

 to the strenuous life of the farm, after 

 being there for six months, during which 

 time he worked for his board and also 

 attended school, he left the place and en- 

 tered as an apprentice to learn shoe- 

 making with Christian Musselman, near 

 Steinsburg, in Milford township, and 

 remained there for two years. He then 

 went to live with a farmer, Henry 

 Moyer, near Line Port, Bucks county, 

 and later purchased a farm in Spring- 

 field township, which he cultivated and 

 whereon he resided up to 1887, when he 

 disposed of the same. He then pur- 

 chased the property where he now re- 

 sides, at Sixth and Juniper streets, Quak- 

 ertown, where he is a manufacturer of 

 ice cream, and has established an exten- 

 sive trade throughout northern Bucks 

 county, from which he realizes a goodly 

 income. Mr. Taylor adheres to the Re- 

 publican party, but, takes no interest in 

 local affairs outside the casting of his 

 vote for the candidates of the party of 

 his choice. 



While a resident of Line Port, August 

 23, 1873, Mr. Taylor married Sarah Roth, 

 daughter of David and Lydia (Mussel- 

 man) Roth, of Rockhill township, where 

 Mr. Roth followed agricultural pursuits. 

 Their children were as follows: Elmer 

 M., born May 2, 1875, married Sarah 

 Rissmiller, daughter of Josiah and El- 

 enia Rissmiller, of Richland township, 

 farmers, and they reside in Quaker- 

 town, Pennsylvania. Addie R., born 

 November 3, 1876, became the wife of 

 Harvey Benner, of Lansdale. The 

 mother of these children died February 

 5, 1881, aged twenty-seven years, four 

 months and live days. Mr. Taylor mar- 

 ried for his second wife, Mary Roth, a 

 sister of his first wife, and had issue: 

 Joseph Warren, born October 24, 1885, 

 ■died August 23, 1886. Katie, born June 

 IS, 1887, died July i, 1901. Elsie, born 

 January 28, 1895, resides with her pa- 

 rents. The family are members of the 

 Bathany Mennonite church of Quaker- 

 town, in which body Mr. Taylor is serv- 

 ing as trustee. 



HENRY M. KRATZ. The Kratz 

 family, of which Henry M. Kratz is a 

 representative, is of German origin, and 

 was established in America in the early 

 part of the eighteenth century, its pro- 

 genitor in the new world being John 

 Valentine Kratz, a son of John Philip 

 Kratz, who was born in Germany, Oc- 

 tober 8, 1665, (lied in 1746, aged eighty 

 years; his wife died in 1710. John V. 

 Kratz emigrated from the Palatinate 

 in Germany to Pennsylvania in the year 

 1727, and he married Ann Clemmens, 

 whose death occurred in 1793. 



Abraham Kratz, son of John Valen- 



tine and Ann (Clemmens) Kratz, was 

 born in Montgomery county, Pennsyl- 

 vania, in 1741, and resided for many 

 years in New Britain township. He 

 purchased the Williams homestead in 

 that township and continued its cultiva- 

 tion through a long period. He married 

 Barbara Moyer, and they became the 

 parents of ten children: Anna, Mary, 

 Valentine, Susanna, Barbara, Veronica, 

 Magdaline, Elizabeth, Abram and Cath- 

 erine. 



Valentine Kratz, son of Abram and 

 Barbara (Moyer) Kratz, was born April 

 22, 1773, in New Britain township, and 

 in his youth learned the weaver's trade, 

 which he followed throughout his entire 

 business career. He also engaged in 

 farming in connection with his other 

 occupation, and died September 18, 1830. 

 His wife bore the maiden name of Anna 

 Overholt, and they were the parents of 

 six children: Simeon, Elizabeth, Jacob, 

 Abram, Barbara and Mary. 



Jacob Kratz, son of Valentine and 

 Anna (Overholt) Kratz, was born on 

 the old homestead in New Britian town- 

 ship in a house which was built in 1795. 

 He was educated in the public schools 

 of his home* locality, and afterward en- 

 gaged in teaching school in New Britian 

 and Hilltown townships, following that 

 profession for several years. He also 

 engaged in farming, and for a long 

 period served as a school director in 

 Hilltown township and took an active 

 and helpful interest in public affairs. He 

 died February 23, 1903. November 28, 

 1838 he married Mary Myers, a daughter 

 of Christian Myers, and they had four 

 children: Salome, who was born August 

 30. 1839, and was married January 19, 

 1864. to John F. Funk, by whom she has 

 six children; Henry M.; Anna, who was 

 born July 22, 1850. and was married 

 July 22, 1899, to Joseph D. Bishop; 

 Isaiah, who was born May 7, 1856, and 

 died on the 31st of August of the same 

 year. 



Henry M. Kratz, elder son of Jacob 

 and Mary (Myers) Kratz. was born at 

 Naces Corner in Hilltown township, 

 Bucks county, July 2.-^, 1845. He pur- 

 sued his education after attending the 

 public schools in the New Britian Sem- 

 inary and at the North Wales Normal 

 Institute at Carversville, and following 

 his graduation he engaged in teaching 

 for three terms, being thus occupied suc- 

 cessively at Hilltown. Bedminster and 

 Milford. He has since followed farm- 

 ing at his present home at Naces Corner, 

 where he was born and has always lived. 

 He is a member of the IMennonite 

 church, and his political allegiance is 

 given to the Republican party. He was 

 married January 4. 1868, to Sophia L. 

 Shaddinger, a daughter of Jacob L. and 

 Mary (Leathermau') Shaddinger. They 

 have one child. Mary Emma, born Sep- 

 tember 22,, 1868. 



